Combination underground reinforced concrete vault and grave appliance.



W. E. THOMAS. 4 COMBINATION UNDERGROUND REINFORCED CONCRETE VAULT AND GRAVE APPLIANCE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 10, 1908. 905,954.

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WW WILLIAM E. THOMAS.

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Patented Dec. 8, 1908.

yw'A w E UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. i

WILLIAM E. THOMAS, or SAN DIEGQ, CALIFORNIA. E 2

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. '8, loos.

Application filed. June 10, 1908. Serial No. 437,744.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM E. TnoMAs, a citizen of the United states, residing at San Diego, in the county of San Diego, State of California, have invented a new and useful Combination Underground Reinforced Concrete Vault and Grave Appliance, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to grave appliances of the manner and description shown and represented in the drawings, being constructed in sections of cement or concrete work, and may be reinforced or used without the reinforcement, as the manufacturer and user of the same may see fit. It is conveniently constructed in sections and assembled in the manner shown for the purpose of protecting a casket under any and all circumstances from the earth, at the same time a vault or combination of vaults constructed in this manner will not retain water or moisture any longer than the usual time it takes for the earth to absorb water, the bottom of the combination vault being so arranged as to allow the water to quickly disappear in the earth. This being one of the points of great advantage over the inclosed concrete casket and air tight vault of the type and manner now in use.

Another of the points of advantage in the combination vault as shown and described is that one or more caskets may be placed in the same grave, one above the other, each having the same protection as the other.

In carrying out my invention I do not wish to be understood that it is confined to the details shown by the accompanying drawings. The inventive idea is broader than the particular embodiment herein presented and described, and embraces in construction and mechanism that which comes within the scope of the claim.

In the drawings Figure 1 represents an end and sectional view of the combination vault and grave appliance, cut in two on line 12 of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 shows a side elevation of the combination vault and grave appliance, having a portion broken out of each side, showing the manner of assembling the different parts. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of an arch portion hereinafter described. Fig. 4 is the floor plate of the vault and grave appliance, which may be used in sections as shown in the drawings. Fig. 5 and Fig. 6 is a bridge cap, showing two methods of construction, one with reinforcement, and the other without. These caps are intended to be used in conjunction with the vault appliance, and are to support the floor plate upon which the casket rests. Fig. 7 is an end and sectional view representing the same construction as Fig. 1, but shown in Fig. 7 for the purpose of illustratin that it can be used with or without the p ate in the upper section, as desired. I

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

A is a section of the top cover of the vault and grave appliance.

B is the bridge support or floor rest.

C is a door containing an annular groove which is only intended to lighten the weight.

D is the floor plate, which is constructed in the manner shown for the purpose of lightening the weight and giving a perfect support to the bottom of the casket at the same time affording space for water and moisture to pass away. As is best illustrated in Fig. 4 the floor plate D is composed of several spaced sections instead of being made in one solid piece. This renders the floor plate a skeleton one and materially reduces the weight of the structure as a whole.

E is the cover plates which inclose the ends of the vault and grave a pliance, and are made in two sections for t e purpose of lightening the weight, and for convenience in handling the same.

F shows the groove or shoulder connection for the cover plates A, being made in this manner to allow them to come together with a perfect joint.

G is the reinforcement rods, as shown in Fig. 5.

Having thus fully described my invention the arch member and rests thereon the upper 1 claim, face of which is plane to adapt it to receive a 10 In a device of the character described, the cofiin. combination With a skeleton floor plate, of WILLIAM E THOMAS 5 side strips resting upon said floor plate, an

arch member A having extremities resting Witnesses: upon said strips, and a cap member B, the J. W. MASTER, inner face of which conforms to the shape of RUDOLF HASELBAUER. 

